LEYTON: Security fencing at school "will look like concentration camp"

11:58am Thursday 7th August 2008

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CONTROVERSIAL plans to erect tall barbed wire fencing around a school plagued by criminals will make it look like a concentration camp, a meeting heard.

Barclay School, in Canterbury Road, Leyton, wants to replace its 1.8 metre high Edwardian railings with 3 metre barbed wire-topped gates in response to two recent break-ins and vandalism.

Three residents spoke out about the proposal at a meeting of the council's planning committee on Tuesday, August 5.

One of them, Peter Brightwell said: "The new fences will make the school look like a concentration camp. This will not do. They have done a very good job with new fencing at Leyton Sixth Form College in Essex Road.

"I consider something like that is much more attractive. Aren't we going to have a beautiful fence but instead an ugly fence?"

The school's chair of governors Robin Thompson-Clarke said: "Pupils' safety is the first priority while their education must be the second priority."

He added burglars had stolen 40 lap tops from the school and that had meant pupils had been denied an information technology suite for a long time.

PC Paul Hawkins, a crime prevention and design advisor, said: "Barclay is a school which has been at risk of crime for a long time. I would recommend this fencing as a way of deterring criminals from targeting the school."

Cllr Farooq Qureshi said: "I would like the opportunity to meet with residents to discuss things further. For this reason I would request that members defer this item."

The council consulted 81 homes in surrounding Peterborough Road, Essex Road, and Canterbury Road and received a petition with 33 signatures objecting to the plans.

It claims that the proposed fences are an excessive measure and alternatives, such as CCTV cameras, should be explored.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Chris Robbins said: "I have agreed to convene a meeting with the school, councillors and local residents to see if we can find a way through current difficulties."

Councillors unanimously agreed to defer the item.